श्राद्धेषु यः पठेदेतां जटेश्वरकथां शुभाम्
Whoever recites this auspicious tale of Jaṭeśvara at śrāddha rites—
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः
This, O goddess, is the power I have told you, which destroys sin.
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
By merely beholding him, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin.
पुरा त्रेतायुगे देवि रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः
Long ago, in the Tretā Yuga, O goddess, Rāma, the foremost among wielders of weapons,
रेणुकागर्भसंभूतः स्वयं रामो बभूव ह
was himself born from the womb of Reṇukā, indeed as Rāma.
स कदाचिन्नियुक्तोऽसौ मुनिना जमदग्निना
Once, he was commanded by the sage Jamadagni,
स पितुर्वचनं श्रुत्वा भ्रातॄणां मातुरेव च
Having heard the words of his father and also of his brothers and mother,
सर्वेषां पृथिवीशानां त्वमजेयो भविष्यसि
You shall become invincible among all the lords of the earth.
गृहाण परशुं पुत्र वह्निज्वालोद्भवं दृढम्
Take up the axe, O son, firm and born from the blaze of fire.
अथ केनापि कालेन कार्त्तवीर्यार्जुनो नृपः
Then, after some time, King Kārtavīryārjuna,
जघान जमदग्निं तु कामधेनुकृते कुधीः
wicked-minded, killed Jamadagni for the sake of the wish-granting cow.
अथ पश्यंतु मे वीर्यं त्रयो लोकाः सनातनम्
Now let the three worlds witness my eternal valor.
मत्पिता निहतो येन सत्कर्मनिरतः सदा
My father, ever devoted to righteous acts, was slain by him.
इत्युक्त्वा क्रोधरक्ताक्षः कार्त्तवी र्यार्जुनं भुवि
Having spoken thus, with eyes reddened in anger, he struck down Kārtavīryārjuna on the earth.
कृत्स्नं बाहुसहस्रं च चिच्छेद भृगुनंदनः
The descendant of Bhṛgu cut off all his thousand arms.
रथस्थं पातयामास जघान नृपतिं प्रिये
He cast him down from his chariot and slew the king, O beloved.
कृत्वा निःक्षत्रियां चैव भार्गवः स महाबलः
Having made the earth devoid of Kṣatriyas, that mighty Bhārgava,
तस्मिन्यज्ञे महादाने दक्षिणां भृगुनंदनः
At that great sacrifice, in the grand act of giving, the descendant of Bhṛgu,
वारुणांस्तुरगाञ्छुभ्रान्रथं च रथिनां वरः
received pure horses of Varuṇa and a chariot, best among charioteers.
तदा तस्मिन्महायज्ञे वाजिमेधे महायशाः
Then, at that great horse-sacrifice, the illustrious one—
एवं किल पुराणेषु सर्वागमभिदादिषु
Thus indeed, in the Purāṇas and in all authoritative scriptures,
अश्वमेधेन यज्ञेन ब्रह्महत्या विनश्यति
It is said that the sin of killing a Brāhmaṇa is destroyed by the Aśvamedha sacrifice.
मया पुनर्नृशंसेन बहवः प्राणिनो हताः
Yet by me, in cruelty, many living beings have been slain.
स्त्रियो वृद्धाश्च बालाश्च माता चैव विशेषतः
Women, the elderly, children, and especially my own mother.
चिंतयित्वा मुहूर्तं तु गतो रैवतकं गिरिम्
After pondering for a moment, he went to Mount Raivataka.
तथापि न गता हत्या ह्यनेकप्राणिसंभवा
Still, the sin of killing, arising from the destruction of many lives, did not depart.
सह्ये हिमालये रम्ये पुण्ये बदरिकाश्रमे
In the Sahya, in the beautiful Himalayas, and in the sacred hermitage at Badarikāśrama,
यमुनां चंद्रभागां च गंगां त्रिपथगामिनीम्
To the Yamunā, the Candrabhāgā, and the Gaṅgā, the river of three paths,
विशालां कपिलां दुर्गां गंभीरां गोमतीं शिवाम्
To the Viśālā, the Kapilā, the Durgā, the deep and auspicious Gomatī,
गयां चैव कुरुक्षेत्रं नैमिषं पुष्करं तथा
To Gayā, Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa, and also Puṣkara,